Conspiracy Theories #1 DB Cooper. Did he make it or not?

[VansCrew1]

First in a long line of many Conspiracy Theories out there, this one is i feel a very cool story. Im working on a format to maybe make it a little easier for people.

Who: DB Cooper
What: A hijacked a Boeing 727 aircraft in the airspace between Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington,
When: November 24, 1971
Where: airspace between Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington,
Why: $200,000
How: With a note was printed in neat, all-capital letters with a felt pen. It read, approximately,[14] "I have a bomb in my briefcase. I will use it if necessary. I want you to sit next to me. You are being hijacked
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D._B._Cooper)

Thats the back ground of the story we all know that this is pretty much what happened. Long story short he made the plane land grab the $200k in $20 bills and took back off. Reports say he was having a few adult beverages, being nice to the flight attendants, even tipping them. About 20 or so min after taking back off in the dark and cold he walked to the back of the plain and opened the back door, jumping out into a Oregon forest. The police had an idea of where in the area he jumped and started the man hunt. Come to find off there are was off.

Where you come in:
What do you believe happened to him? Did he die on the jump or in the woods?
Did he Bear Grills it and stayed in the woods for a few weeks till the heat was off him?
Did he have another person that came and got him / or did he walk out on his own?
Why did he stack some money under ground later to be found by a child several years later? Was it to throw them even more off his trail. or did he hide it to come back later to get it?

These and many more questions have been asked about this man. What are your guys take on it? Do you think he made it? or died in the woods and one day we will find a skeleton clutching a bag full of money?

BEGIN *note* this is not a flame war ** just a interesting topic i feel will get a good topic going

[CZCH64]

Yup he made it...He flies in the DA...

[Shifty]

He hid in one of the food service carts made his escape after landing. 

[ToeTag]

I am DB Cooper and I lost all the money in the river and all I have to show for it is a pair of stained underwear and a permanent limp.

[VansCrew1]

So much for a serious conversion 

[kilo2]

So much for a serious conversion 

(F-32) x 5/9 = C

That is a serious conversion

[Karnak]

He died in the jump and the money washed down the river, some of which was found by the child.

[guncrasher]

He died in the jump and the money washed down the river, some of which was found by the child.

that's what they want you to  believe.  my guess is he died while hitting trees then hitting the floor then the money washed down the river and was found by kids.  which brings me to another interesting  point, did the kids actually turn in all the money? or did they used some of it to buy candy.

midway

[USAFCAPcTSgt]

that's what they want you to  believe.  my guess is he died while hitting trees then hitting the floor then the money washed down the river and was found by kids.  which brings me to another interesting  point, did the kids actually turn in all the money? or did they used some of it to buy candy.

They did to feed Bigfoot.  Sasquatch has the rest of the cash.

[HL117]

He made it!


Senior Officer of the Federal Reserve in good standing.


 

[LCADolby]

If he chuted into trees he is probably still hanging up there somewhere.

[Wayout]

Of course I made it. 

[FireDrgn]

He probably never even pulled the cord on his chute.  Your center of gravity needs to be where your stomach is at in order to track.   With money tied to himself this would be difficult.  One thought I had was the plane was below 10,000 feet. We don't know what elevation the terrain was at. 

Based on experience you lose time really fast in free fall when you are preoccupied with anything else. If you don't specifically count seconds to yourself you lose time.  He had no altimeter which would have been useless unless he knew the elevation of terrain.  So counting would have been the best way to track free fall.  I am guessing his anal self needed to orientate himself in order to make a decision.  If he did not have his hand on the rip cord when he left plane I bet he never found it.

In conversations with the pilot he noted that he recognized the lights below. In pitch black you don't have time to learn.
So I am going with.  He was upside down or spinning. He used the few seconds he had trying to figure out what the heck was going on (orientate himself)or (find rip cord) and never had time to pull chute. 
Wild animals quickly found is dead body and tore into money ect. looking for a free meal.

[colmbo]

He probably never even pulled the cord on his chute.  Your center of gravity needs to be where your stomach is at in order to track.   With money tied to himself this would be difficult.  One thought I had was the plane was below 10,000 feet. We don't know what elevation the terrain was at.

There have been literally thousands of people who have bailed out of airplanes and survived without getting stable in freefall or having any prior experience jumping.  Military folks jump quite often with impressive amounts of stuff strapped to them as well.

Exiting the airstair on the 727 is a pretty sweet jump, most likely he got out of the airplane okay.

If he pulled immediately on exit he might have blown some panels on the canopy (due to aircraft speed) and had an uncontrolled/unsurvivable descent. 

Landing in trees S U C K S.  Landing at night on rough terrain S U C K S.  Either could have seriously injured him, even killed him.

Unless he was a tough, resourceful guy and had a bit of good fortune that night I think he probably died during the jump or shortly after landing.

[Old Sport]

...Come to find off there are was off....

Seriously, no offense VC, what does this translate to?

DB Cooper caper... I doubt he survived, or he'd have done a little time, written a book and sold rights to a movie, and made a lot more than $200 G's.